1. Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to apparatus and methods for creating and distributing a vapor using a person's exhalation or breath to distribute the vaporized material. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a mask worn by a human in order to use the human exhalation to distribute a masking scent. More particularly, this disclosure relates to an electronic vaporizer that creates a vapor which is distributed by an airflow generated by the user's breath. The devices and methods of the disclosure can be used with scent materials used to attract game, scent materials used to repel game, or with vaporizable materials that eliminate or substantially reduce scents given off by a person that are not desired during a hunt.
2. Background Information
Individuals who engage in activities such as hunting, photography, or studies of animals in their natural habitat are well acquainted with the difficulty in approaching wild life without alerting the wildlife to the individual's presence. Most animals have well-developed senses of sight and smell, and individuals attempting to approach wildlife in its natural habitat must camouflage their visual image and mask or eliminate their odor. One of the primary odors detected by animals is the odor carried in the exhalation of the individual.
While eliminating the odor of the wearer is important to hide the presence of the wearer, it is also important that the wearer retain the ability to detect odors in their environment. In a potentially hostile environment, individuals must maintain the fullest use of their senses.
A variety of masks are available to assist individuals to remain undetected when approaching wildlife. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,996 to Kirby discloses a camouflage face mask which is positioned in a close fitting relationship to the skin of an individual's face. While the mask disclosed by Kirby may be worn with relative comfort and enables visual concealment of the individual from nearby animals, the mask does not disclose means by which the odor of the individual is concealed from nearby wildlife. U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,189 to Blutstein and U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,068 to Ross both disclose camouflage devices suitable for wearing about the head which prevent visual detection of the hunter by nearby wildlife, but neither Ross or Blutstein address the concealment or elimination of odors contained in the exhalation of an individual so as to prevent detection of the odor of the individual by nearby wildlife.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,541 to Dearstine discloses a warm air mask comprising a facial covering which encompasses the nose and mouth of a wearer, the mask having a plurality of oval inhale ports which extend through the mask such that, as the wearer inhales, the inhale ports are opened. Upon subsequent exhalation by the wearer, the inhale ports close and an exhale port opens. Upon inhalation, the exhale port closes. The mask disclosed in Dearstine is directed to providing a mask which keeps the face of the wearer warm and dry, and does not eliminate odors from the exhalation of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,294 to Rogozinski discloses a face mask impregnated with an odor-absorbing material which eliminates organic gaseous compounds from the air inhaled through the mask, thus reducing the gaseous foul odors inhaled through the mask, thus reducing the wearer's perception of odors. While this mask enables reduced detection of odors by the wearer, it does not provide a filtering action for reduction of odors in the exhalation of the wearer which pass into the ambient atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,821 to White discloses a hunting mask with a breath odor control system which includes a face mask having a one-way air intake valve and a tube for conducting a hunter's exhalation from the mask to an intake end of an air purification canister. The air purification canister has, at its other end, a one-way discharge valve such that filtered breath may be discharged to the ambient atmosphere once odors have been removed from the exhalation. The device disclosed by White, while providing a method for filtering odors from the exhalation of a hunter or other individual, is bulky and difficult to use as the purifying canister must be attached to the wearing apparel of the individual. This causes discomfort and additional weight which the hunter or other individual must support over a potentially long period of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,236 to Sesselmann discloses a variety of articles of clothing which absorb odors emanating from the portion of the person which is substantially surrounded by the clothing, thereby preventing odors from escaping to the atmosphere for detection by nearly wildlife. In particular, Sesselmann discloses a breath shield which is intended to be placed over the nose and mouth of a wearer which may be integrated into a larger head covering. The breath shield disclosed by Sesselmann contains an odor absorbing means in the form of fibers treated with activated carbon or charcoal. All air inhaled by the wearer of the mask disclosed by Sesselmann must pass through the odor absorbing material, thereby significantly reducing the ability of the wearer to detect odors in the surrounding environment. Individuals in remote areas depend upon their sense of smell to detect odors related to the surrounding environment such as smoke, a fetid marsh or the presence of a decaying animal. The mask disclosed by Sesselmann does not permit full use of the wearer's sense of smell, thus reducing the ability of the wearer to properly function in a wilderness environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,105 to White discloses a hunting mask that eliminates odors from the exhalation of the hunter wearing the mask. Activated charcoal or carbon filters are used in the body of the mask to eliminate the odors from the exhalation.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,167 to Cheng discloses a mask that carries one or more aromatic capsules that can be opened to allow the person wearing the mask to smell the fragrances provided by the capsule.
Aromatic materials have long been used by individuals to lure or attract game animals toward a position desired by the individual. Examples of aromatic materials include doe urine and sweet smelling items such as apple and corn. In some cases, a hunter spreads the smell of a buck in order to lure a different buck seeking to defend territory. Other urines and gland secretions are also used as well as naturally occurring smells from trees and bushes favored by game.
Other uses for scents include cover scents and scents that repel game. Repelling scents can be used to prevent animals from entering or leaving an area.
Other situations where one desires to distribute a scent include freshening the air in a room or inside an automobile. Some scents are used to ward off insects such as citronella used for mosquitos.